Delving into Africa's Islamic heritage, the podcast explores jihadists' perspectives, Zangeh rebellion fallout, historical trade, and current geopolitics. Unveiling conflicts from piracy to terrorism, it discusses the influence of global powers and the future of Africa amidst international influences.
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Quick takeaways
Africa's Islamic heritage is crucial for understanding geopolitics.
Historical impact of Arab interactions and jihadist movements in Africa.
Emerging security challenges in Africa with global power shifts.
Deep dives
Overview of Conflicted Podcast Season Five
The episode marks the return of Thomas Small and Aemon Dean for Season Five of Conflicted, delving into the vast and consequential continent of Africa. The hosts reflect on their long-standing partnership, highlighting their commitment to exploring complex topics like the history of Islam in Africa and the geopolitics shaping the region. They announce a deep dive into Africa's Islamic heritage, covering regions from Sudan to Morocco, unraveling diverse narratives encompassing Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab, and the Sahara. Season Five aims to offer critical insights on how Islam has shaped the African continent and its broader implications for global affairs.
Islamic Influence Across Africa
The podcast discusses the historical impact of Islam in Africa, shedding light on the varied perspectives from Arab eyes and early jihadist movements. It explores the interaction between Arabs and black Africans, delving into the complexities of the slave trade, Islamification waves, and the pivotal role of regions like the Horn of Africa in Islam's historical narrative. The episode navigates through themes of slavery, Sharia law's regulation, and the intricate dynamics that have shaped the Islamic presence in Africa over centuries.
Geopolitical Dynamics in Africa
The podcast analyzes the current security landscape across Africa, with a focus on regions like the Horn of Africa, West Africa, and the Sahel. It highlights the interplay of organized crime, terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram, and foreign interests in mineral-rich territories. The episode remarks on the growing global influence of countries like China and Russia in Africa, displacing the historical role of America and fostering a new battleground for power dynamics and resource exploitation.
Influence of Major Powers in Africa
The discussion shifts to the evolving roles of major powers in Africa, notably the contrasting influences of China, Russia, and the United States. It traces America's historical disengagement from Africa post-Cold War, paving the way for Chinese and Russian geopolitical encroachments. The episode underscores the significance of Elon Musk's ventures in Africa, particularly Starlink internet, while delving into the complexities of resource extraction, state-building challenges, and potential future conflicts in the continent.
Prospects and Challenges for Africa
As the episode concludes, a somber outlook emerges on Africa's future, portraying the continent as a battleground of human greed and geopolitical rivalries. The narrative forecasts Africa's pivotal role in global affairs, emphasizing the necessity for state-building through potential conflicts and rich resource exploitation. With an emphasis on Sudan's upcoming series, the podcast sets the stage for exploring Africa's past, present, and the intricate tapestry of influences shaping its destiny.
In this season, we’re delving deep into a continent whose Islamic heritage is often overlooked, but which is one of the most consequential and politically significant places in the world of geopolitics today. That’s right – in Season 5, Conflicted does Africa!
In our opening episode, Thomas and Aimen are giving you an introductory overview of the continent, and we really are covering a lot. From the Islamisation of North Africa, to the ISIS cells forming on the East African coast, to the reasons why there are so many redheads in the Levant, we want to use this episode to explain just why Africa is so important and consequential, both in terms of Islamic history and beyond. We’ll cover themes that will return across this season to welcome you into this truly fascinating world that we haven’t covered in any real depth across our previous four seasons.
New Conflicted Season 5 episodes will be coming every two weeks, but if you want to have your Conflicted fix every single week, then you’ll have to join our Conflicted Community.
Subscribers will get bonus episodes every other week, and can also join our Conflicted Community chatroom, where you can interact with fellow dearest listeners, discuss episodes past and future, get exclusive messages from Thomas and Aimen, ask future Q&A questions and so much more.